When you're a teenager, soundtracks are the easiest way to discover new music. Often serving as a time capsule of a certain era and style, a great soundtrack combines a concept and theme that fits with the film while also collecting great songs you've never heard before. They are a mixtape for millions, an album diverse enough to cross over to a broader audience than any single band's album. The greatest soundtracks of the '90s were common experiences for kids who grew up with them — whether it was windows-down driving in your first car blasting the Clueless soundtrack, making out with the cutest girl at school while the Love Jones soundtrack pumped out of your stereo, dancing in your bedroom with a flashlight going off and on at two beats per minute while playing Trainspotting, or culling no less than three songs from the Reality Bites soundtrack for your crush's mixtape. Remember? Maybe this Spotify mix will help.

Rankings were determined by asking a series of questions and comparing each soundtrack on the basis of the answers... Does it hold up today? How many truly great songs are on it? How many terrible songs are on it? How good and important were the biggest singles? Does it set a certain mood and maintain a concept, like a good album should? Was the soundtrack introducing new songs and artists (as opposed to just collecting current hits)? And perhaps most importantly, how much will listening to it again make you feel young?

99.The Faculty (1998)

What makes it great: Primarily comprising '90s rockers covering '70s hits, which somehow works because kids of every era hate authority, and that's what most of these tunes are about.

Really the soundtrack to: Hating your parents, teachers, and all other authority figures in your life.

Most memorable song: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)," Class of '99 (Layne Staley, Tom Morello, and Stephen Perkins). This Pink Floyd cover isn't anything to write home about, but the group of rockers assembled was legendary enough to make it seem special.

Sleeper favorite: "The Kids Aren't Alright," The Offspring. The best song on the soundtrack is an original by The Offspring, and the band's best song, period.

Low point: "School's Out," Soul Asylum. Doesn't even try to sound ANY different from the original at any point.

Sleeper favorite: "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore," The Divinyls. A sweet cover of an amazing and underrated '60s classic first recorded by The Young Rascals, and hilariously appropriate given the film's subject matter.

Low point: "I Fought the Law," Mary's Danish. Just one of approximately 1,000,000,000 covers of this song, and not one that adds any special to this genre unto itself.

96.Baby-Sitter's Club (1995)

What makes it great: Perfectly innocent and magical, will transform you into a 12-year-old girl instantly. I call "not Mallory!"

Really the soundtrack to: Making friendship bracelets!

Most memorable song: "Step Back", Letters to Cleo. Letters to Cleo, perhaps the greatest soundtrack band of the 1990s.

Sleeper favorite: "Don't Leave," Ben Lee. Ben Lee was the cutest kid rocker even before he wooed Claire Danes with a birthday serenade, and this song holds up better than any other track on this adorable soundtrack.

Low point: "Daddy's Girl," Lisa Harlow Stark. It was your least favorite song on this soundtrack then, and it does not age any better.

91.I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

What makes it great: Fittingly (for both the movie and for teenage moodiness generally) dark and grumpy and sexy all at the same time.

Really the soundtrack to: Your first hangover.

Most memorable song: "Clumsy," Our Lady Peace. In that same wonderful category along with "Freshman" and "Brick" of popular mid-'90s alt-rock songs that were about some mysterious death event no one quite understood.

89.Traveller (1997)

What makes it great: Although it is perhaps one of the more obscure picks on this list, this soundtrack included really great alt-country/folk artists doing charming covers of old classics. It's a winning combination.

Really the soundtrack to: Pickup truck road trip.

Most memorable song: "King of the Road," Randy Travis. Randy has one of the top five most pleasing voices of all time, so he could sing the phone book and I'd be happy.

87.Clerks (1994)

What makes it great: Truly personifies the laid-back slacker character that the movie is populated with.

Really the soundtrack to: Sleeping in on your first day at a new job.

Most memorable song: "Got Me Wrong," Alice in Chains. It's nice when the most memorable song on the soundtrack is also played at a memorable moment in the movie, like when Randal first appears in Clerks and this song wafts around.

86.Spawn (1997)

What makes it great: Your favorite '90s hard rock acts + the coolest electronic artists. The concept sometimes outdoes the actual tracks, but the high points are treasures that could never have existed outside of 1997.

Really the soundtrack to: Picking out a blacklight at Spencer's Gifts.

Most memorable song: "Can't You Trip Like I Do," Filter/The Crystal Method. The most successful track is the first one, featuring everybody's favorite duo, The Crystal Method.

Sleeper favorite: "Tiny Rubberband," Butthole Surfers/Moby. Compared to the rock and buzz of the rest of this album, this song is downright cute. I'm into it.

84.Point Break (1991)

What makes it great: So '80s that it's really hard to even compare it to '90s soundtracks, thank you 1991.

Really the soundtrack to: Bro-ing out with your best bro.

Most memorable song: "Nobody Rides For Free," Ratt. Oh my god listening to this song will make you feel fucking awesome for 4 minutes and 43 seconds and then you won't want to listen to it again for another 10 years.

Sleeper favorite: "I Want You," Concrete Blonde. Just another Concrete Blonde song doing the hard work of making you weep with rock 'n' roll.

Low point: "7 And 7 Is," Liquid Jesus. So forgettable that I almost forgot to list it here.

80.Mallrats (1995)

What makes it great: Although it's not that consistent, the fact that this soundtrack had NEW songs from Bush, Silverchair, Weezer, Belly, Sponge, and Wax made it an incredibly exciting release for every boy with long hair on planet Earth in 1995.

Really the soundtrack to: Shoplifting.

Most memorable song: "Susanne," Weezer. New Weezer song automatically made this soundtrack essential.

Sleeper favorite: "Broken," Belly. The single most underrated '90s band, plus the line "the curve of her ass is unparalleled."

Low point: All of the random Mallrats clips scattered throughout the soundtrack, which is a cute idea until every teenage boy in the world thought it was cool to put those dialogue clips on all of their mixtapes.

Most memorable song: "No One Needs to Know," Shania Twain. One of those rare country songs that is a legitimate crossover that even Yankees can enjoy.

Sleeper favorite: "Talula," Tori Amos. One of Tori's best, remixed so well for this album that she ended up replacing the previous version of the song on later pressings of Boys for Pele for this slightly dancier (??) one.

Sleeper favorite: "I Swear It (I Can Change)," Violent Femmes. The end of the soundtrack contained popular bands covering the songs from the movie — this one could pass for a real single if you don't pay super-close attention/

Low point: "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" Don't kill me — it's hilarious in the context of the movie, but if you've ever had to live with a hardcore South Park fan perhaps you know that this can quickly become unbearable.

73.Small Soldiers (1998)

What makes it great: Another "this genre meets this other genre"-themed soundtrack, the Small Soldiers soundtrack combined "classic" (mostly '80s) rock tracks with new rapping and production by hip-hop artists.

70.With Honors (1994)

What makes it great: A new Madonna single and a very solid collection of covers and new songs from many of the best alt-pop bands of the '90s. What more do you want?

Really the soundtrack to: Learning to cook yourself dinner for the first time ever.

Most memorable song: "I'll Remember," Madonna. Madonna WROTE this song for the movie With Honors, which you may or may not actually REMEMBER (see what I did there). It was a turn away from her hormonal album Body of Evidence and was a heartbeat-beat '70s-style pop song with beautifully cheesy lyrics, her best work in years.

Sleeper favorite: "It's Not Unusual," Belly. There are a lot of unnecessary covers on movie soundtracks, but this one is super great! It just makes me want to clap along.

64.Threesome (1994)

What makes it great: A solidly diverse compilation that actually feels more like it's of the late '80s than it does the '90s — but it contains charming pop covers and the musical equivalent of the winking emoticon, so I'm happy.

Really the soundtrack to: Falling asleep in the back of a cab.

Most memorable song: "Like a Virgin," Teenage Fanclub. Rock covers of pop songs was a big soundtrack thing in the '90s — this one is one of the very best examples of the genre.

62.The Craft (1996)

What makes it great: I have scientifically determined that The Craft is the single NINETIESIST '90s soundtrack that was ever made. Containing each of at least four of the most frequently soundtracked artists of the '90s: Letters to Cleo, Matthew Sweet, Our Lady Peace, and Juliana Hatfield.

Really the soundtrack to: Every single séance you ever had at a slumber party.

Most memorable song: "I Have the Touch," Heather Nova. Oh man, this soundtrack is so fucking witchy, I love it.

Sleeper favorite: "Spastica," Elastica. Everything that any gal buying The Craft soundtrack needed in a song.

Low point: "How Soon Is Now," Love Spit Love. Terrible, unnecessary, sad cover of a beautiful Smiths band by a group no one remembers. Bummer.

Sleeper favorite: "F.N.T.," Semisonic. Proof that Semisonic did more than "Closing Time," and it's just adorable. "I'm surprised that you've never been told before that you're lovely, and you're perfect, and that somebody wants you."

Low point: "Even Angels Fall," Jessica Riddle. You probably thought this song was really deep when you were a teen, but it didn't age well.

48.High School High (1996)

What makes it great: So much better than the movie that the gulf between them could house all of the United States.

Really the soundtrack to: Well...getting high.

Most memorable song: "Wu-Wear: The Garment Renaissance," RZA. A pretty example of the hip-hop obsession with high-priced luxury that later dominated the '00s and Kanye West's life. Also, the chorus/hook is the perfect stoned sing-along.

45.Wild Wild West (1999)

What makes it great: Let go of your guilty feelings and just allow this to be pure, ridiculous pleasure.

Really the soundtrack to: LOL, who knows, a steampunk desert fight, I guess?

Most memorable song: "Wild Wild West," Will Smith. OMFG tiny Jaden at the beginning of this track is all of us.

Sleeper favorite: "Bailamos," Enrique Iglesias. Is any human — man or woman, straight or gay, anything in between — able to listen to this song without wanting to drop their undies for Enrique?! I doubt it!

Low point: "Lucky Day," Tra-Knox. No one told this song that this song is on the Wild Wild West soundtrack.

43.Bulworth (1998)

What makes it great: A seriously legendary collection of hip-hop artists released new and super-smart material for Warren Beatty's comedy. Weird/great.

Really the soundtrack to: Finally finishing that 1,000-page novel.

Most memorable song: "Ghetto Supastar," Pras, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Mya. Having had time to reflect, I have to say that in the fabulous genre that is hip-hop remakes of classic pop/rock/country song hooks, this one might be the very best.

Sleeper favorite: "Bulworth," Method Man featuring Prodigy, KRS-One, and Kam. Just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Warren Beatty got this group of artists to record a new song specifically for his political satire film. Hilarious!

Low point: "Freak Out," Nutta Butta. This is on the other side of that whole remake-of-an-old-hook spectrum.

Sleeper favorite: "Brother," Toad the Wet Sprocket. This is just such a straightforwardly earnest brotherly love song, incredibly sweet.

Low point: "There She Goes," Boo Radleys. There's only one problem with this cover, and it is that this soundtrack also contains the PERFECT original version of the song, and we all know which one wins.

39.Kids (1995)

What makes it great: From the brilliant mind of Lou Barlow, which is all that really needs to be said.

Really the soundtrack to: Your poor mom having to clean your room while you're out with your friends because you refuse to do it and there's been food in there for weeks.

Most memorable song: "Natural One," Folk Implosion. One of the first times cool-guy alt rock embraced a certain catchy pop grooviness, and it rulessss.

Sleeper favorite: "Casper, the Friendly Ghost," Daniel Johnson. One of the only songs on the album that isn't from one of Lou Barlow's projects, and hopefully responsible for bringing the joy of Daniel Johnson into the life of at least one greasy kid who needed him.

Most memorable song: "Til I Hear It From You," Gin Blossoms. Still dreaming of a boy as sweet as A.J. putting this on a mixtape for me.

Sleeper favorite: "Sugarhigh," Coyote Shivers. Shivers also appears in the film and this song is a joyful delight — the only bummer is that Renée Zellweger's rooftop verse from the film didn't make it onto the soundtrack album.

Low point: "A Girl Like You," Edwyn Collins. Maybe it's an attempt to channel Rex Manning's creepy vibe, but this song just sounds like some creepy old guy hitting on you outside your high school. Eww.

35.Walking and Talking (1996)

What makes it great: Billy. Bragg. The brilliant songwriter performs most of the soundtrack, and he is a perfect genius.

Really the soundtrack to: Spending 8 hours at one coffeeshop.

Most memorable song: "Must I Paint You A Picture," Billy Bragg. Would it sound like hyperbole if I said this is one of the best songs ever written, lyrically? "A little black cloud in a dress," forever.

33.That Thing You Do! (1996)

What makes it great: Set in 1964, the movie tells a story about an imaginary band who has a one-hit wonder with their song "That Thing You Do!" Songs for the movie were written to imitate the biggest hits of the era, and they are delightfully retro but just cool enough to have also been beloved by 1996's teens.

Really the soundtrack to: Your sock-hop-themed 16th birthday party.

Most memorable song: "That Thing You Do!," The Wonders. Do you still know every word and every handclap?

31.Boomerang (1992)

What makes it great: An amazing sampler of all new songs by the best and most important R&B and hip-hop artists in 1992, this soundtrack introduced Toni Braxton to the world — for that, we are forever grateful.

Really the soundtrack to: Moving away from your best friend and writing her 20-page letters.

Most memorable song: "End of the Road," Boyz II Men. The best vocal group ballad of the '90s, and one of the best karaoke choices you can make with your life.

Low point: I can't critique Prince, ever, but a few songs on here are older Prince songs that I would hope everyone had already heard by the time this soundtrack had come out, so those are the worst by default.

27.The Nutty Professor (1996)

What makes it great: A whole CD of songs that make you go, "THIS IS MY JAM!"

Really the soundtrack to: Dancing in your kitchen while sweating your face off making cookies in the middle of summer.

Most memorable song: "Ain't Nobody," Monica featuring Treach (of Naughty by Nature). One of those songs that makes you snake your body around even if you're sitting at your desk at work, which is super awk.

26.The Horse Whisperer (1998)

What makes it great: A bewitching collection of contemporary country for people with excellent taste.

Really the soundtrack to: Braiding your sister's hair.

Most memorable song: "Still I Long for Your Kiss, Lucinda Williams. Discovering Lucinda Williams for the first time is a moment I wish I could go back and relive over and over. That drawl + those lyrics that anyone can feel in their bones = perfection.

25.Reality Bites (1994)

What makes it great: The perfect companion for every single terrible and wonderful life event that makes you question whether you even know yourself anymore. When no one else is there, the Reality Bites soundtrack will be.

23.New Jersey Drive (1995)

What makes it great: Rock solid rap tracks from start to finish + two volumes of it!

Really the soundtrack to: Gettin' so high you start seeing things.

Most memorable song: "Can't You See," Total with The Notorious B.I.G. If you haven't thought about Total in awhile, NOW IS THAT TIME. This song is such a jam!!!

Sleeper favorite: "Don't Shut Down on a Player," Ill Al Skratch. One of those songs that straddles that line between being beautifully dated and being totally timeless. It could only exist in the '90s but it's still golden.

22.Natural Born Killers (1994)

What makes it great: Capable of instantly making you feel much, much older and cooler than you actually are the moment you owned it.

Really the soundtrack to: Briefly considering knocking off a convenience store just to know what it would feel like.

Most memorable song: "Sweet Jane," Cowboy Junkies. Is this the most beautiful cover of all time? Maybe.

Sleeper favorite: "The Future," Leonard Cohen. Leonard Cohen didn't peak in the '60s, '70s, or '80s — he kept (and keeps) making great work well past most people's retirement age. This song is dirty and funky and smart and great.

Low point: "Forkboy," Lard. Reznor's whole concept for this soundtrack was unease, and this song does the trick a little too well.

21.Judgment NIght (1993)

What makes it great: Um, it's heavy metal + hip-hop, TOGETHER AT LAST.

Really the soundtrack to: TPing your friend's house in the middle of the night.

Most memorable song: "Just Another Victim," Helmet and House of Pain. This fratty, exhausting rager works shockingly well.

Sleeper favorite: "Fallin'," Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul. Easily the least tough song on this soundtrack, but it's so good!

Low point: "Come and Die," Fatal and Therapy. The two least memorable artists on this soundtrack, luckily paired off with each other instead of any of the better acts so that this track can just be ignored entirely.

19.Poetic Justice (1993)

What makes it great: There were a lot of great urban music soundtracks in the '90s and it's sometimes hard to compare them, but what makes this one so good is that it's so perfectly TEENAGE. Young Usher! TLC! Babyface! YOUTH!

Sleeper favorite: "For the Love of Money / Living for the City," Troop/LeVert featuring Queen Latifah. A remix of The O'Jays' "For the Love of Money" and Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" with additional rapping, and somehow all of that works together and is just really wonderful.

Low point: "I'm Still Waiting," Johnny Gill. The ballad on an album full of sweet bangers is just bound to suffer. Sorry, Johnny.

15.First Love, Last Rites (1998)

What makes it great: All of the songs were written and performed by Shudder to Think with a cast of alternative rock greats singing lead vocals. The other theme is that these are sort of fake oldies in the context of the movie, so the result is an album full of new songs that feel like covers of old songs, which surprisingly works very, very, very well.

Really the soundtrack to: Suddenly realizing that you want to kiss someone you've known for years.

10.Above the Rim (1994)

What makes it great: The mid-'90s were packed with hip-hop compilation soundtracks, as evidenced by the list above. The most consistent of all of them was Above the Rim — from 2Pac to Tha Dogg Pound, it's just perfect.

Really the soundtrack to: Cruisin'.

Most memorable song: "Regulate," Nate Dogg and Warren G. Literally one of the greatest songs that ever blessed this earth.

9.Velvet Goldmine (1998)

What makes it great: To get around Bowie's refusal to allow his songs in this film that casts a fictional version of him as a bit of a villain, director Todd Haynes commissioned new songs from glammy bands and wrote songs for the movie's bands, which were then performed by an all-star cast of musicians including Radiohead, Suede, Roxy Music, Sonic Youth, The Stooges, and more. The result feels like a new artifact

Really the soundtrack to: Making the guy in your friend group wear eyeliner for your own personal amusement.

6.Waiting to Exhale (1995)

What makes it great: Listening to this soundtrack now is like visiting an old BFF you haven't seen in years and catching up like no time has passed at all. Familiar and comfortable and fun and warm.

Really the soundtrack to: Falling in love with your forever best friend.

Most memorable song: "Exhale - Shoop Shoop," Whitney Houston. On a song full of tearfully emotional R&B power ballads, all written and produced by Babyface, this one is probably the MOST tearful and emotional.

1.William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996)

What makes it great: The reasons could fill a book, but essentially because of how perfectly it captures the hormonal, overdramatic, emotional, sexualized, angry, heartbroken core of teenage love.

Really the soundtrack to: Every single adolescent make-out session you either actually had or simply dreamed about.

Most memorable song: “Lovefool,” The Cardigans. Still the most bounced-up-and-down-to song in human history.

Sleeper favorite: “Talk Show Host,” Radiohead. The perfect song to lose your virginity to if you're the coolest person on the face of planet Earth.

Low point: “Everybody’s Free (to Feel Good),” Quindon Tarver. Tarver was just a teen when he recorded this and "When Doves Cry" for the movie — his voice is beautiful, but this song stands out as a cheeseball moment on an otherwise effortlessly cool soundtrack.